Ode to a Sten Gun

<small>A copy of a poem written during World War Two and published in "The Maple Leaf Scrapbook", a souvenir book printed in Belgium at cost price to forces overseas by No. 3 Cdn. P.R. Group in 1945.

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<small>Ode to a Sten GunBy Gunner. S.N. Teed</small>

You wicked piece of vicious tin!Call you a gun? Don't make me grin.You're just a bloated piece of pipe.You couldn't hit a hunk of tripe.But when you're with me in the night,I'll tell you pal, you're just alright!

Each day I wipe you free of dirt.Your dratted corners tear my shirt.I cuss at you and call you names,You're much more trouble than my dames.But boy, do I love to hear you yammerWhen you 're spitting lead in a business manner.

You conceited pile of salvage junk.I think this prowess talk is bunk.Yet if I want a wall of leadThrown at some Jerry's headIt is to you I raise my hat;You're a damn good pal...You silly gat!

By 1880 gatlin was slang for any type of gun, from the Gatling gun named after Richard J. Gatling, the inventor. Then in 1904 the term was further shortened to gat meaning a pistol. Then the term gat was used during the prohibition era by Mafia hit-men to denote any gun, but specifically the Thompson submachine gun, the Tommy Gun.